Create a Comprehensive Mobile Policy

With mobile devices so ingrained into modern culture, the fact is that your employees are going to bring them to work. Most of them will use them for work. This can be beneficial, of course, but it can also cause problems. This month we’ll discuss what your company’s mobile policy should cover.

Mobile Security

Network security is a major point of emphasis for most businesses that rely on their IT. As a result, mobile security should work in concert with your network security rules. Here are a couple of guidelines you will want to include to ensure that your mobile platform stays secure:

• All devices must be password-protected in accordance with your company’s password policies and guidelines, and set to lock if left idle for a given amount of time.
• Any devices not included in the acceptable list, or that are not a part of a BYOD policy (i.e., are exclusively for personal use) may not connect to the network.
• Any device may be wiped if it is misplaced, if the owner leaves the company, or a potential threat is detected by IT.

This is not a comprehensive list. You will want to add other security-minded protocols as you see fit.

Protect Your Business

Your business probably has spent a fair amount of time and money investing in efforts to keep your data and infrastructure safe. Why would you suddenly let employee mobile devices present problems for your business? You will want to make sure that you are protected. A few variables to add to your mobile policy include:

• Any lost or stolen devices need to be reported to IT within 24 hours, with the mobile carrier notified immediately.
• By using their mobile device, an employee consents to the company’s acceptable use policy and adheres to it.
• Any mobile device is subject to being disconnected from the network or having its services disabled without notice.
• Should a device need to be remotely wiped to protect company data, IT will make every effort to protect the user’s data from being lost. However, the company’s security will come first, which means that users need to take their own backups.

Just like all the other rules and regulations you have documented, putting both your mobile device policy and your Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy in writing is a solid practice

What is Acceptable

Your mobile policy has to outline how your staff can use their devices at work. At Omega Technical Solutions, we believe erring on the side of security is prudent, but some organizations open theirs up a little more than we’d like. Some line-items you should include are:

• Clear definitions of acceptable business use and acceptable personal use on company time, as well as what actions are forbidden at any time (such as storing illicit materials or harassing others).
• A list of the business resources that employees can access via their mobile devices.
• Approved and disapproved applications - including those acquired outside of Google Play or iTunes.
• Which websites cannot be accessed through the corporate network.

There is much more to managing your staff’s mobile devices than simply posting rules. To talk to one of our technicians about the technology that can help you manage your company’s mobile device policy, call us today at (703) 743-3056.